Adjustable crutch



. v Jan- 2 1945 c.- l.. INS/Immo 2,366,406

ADJUSTABLE CRUTCH Filed May 26, 1944 .INVENTOK (lf/.rma Lln ulzo,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 2, 1945 I UNITED STATES PATENT Oli-FIC 1, y *2,366,406 1 ADJUSTABLE omi'roii Cosmo L. In vkdiato, Paterson, N. J. Application May 26, 1944, SerialNo. 537,449 6 claims. (ci. 13s- 50)A This inventlo-n relates to invalid crutches and itsob-ject is to provide an invalid crutch which shall be lengthwise adjustable,r which may be readily adjusted, rand on adjustment shall vbe maintainedsecurely set in its changed state against collapse under the'weight of the user. An advantage of my construction is that the major portion of the conventional crutch, as one alreadyV in stock, may be retained; that is, the lower end portion of vsuch crutch needs only to be removed for the purpose of applying thereto parts which will render it adjustable.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a side elevation of the improved crutch;

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation on a larger scale of the lower end portion thereof; and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views on the lines 3 3, 4-4 and 55, respectively.

The shoulder-rest I, the shafts 2 depending therefrom, and the cross-bai' 3 connecting the shafts ay suitable distance below the shoulder-rest so as to aiford a hand-hold, all these being in any way'rigidly secured together, are the same asin the conventional crutch' except that the shafts are shorter than usual.

The lower end portions of the shafts are spaced apartl and preferably parallel to each other' and they are embraced and confined in this relation as follows: 4 is a sheet-metal sleeve formed endless as viewed in end elevation, or generally like a flattened cylinder, and having one of its side walls extending as a projection 5 and the free end portion 6 of such projection bent o" at a right angle to form an arm. With its projection reaching downwardly and the arm thereof below and spaced from the ends of the shafts this sleeve exists fitted over the lower en d portions of the shafts and is firmly secured thereto by rivets I or the like penetrating the' sleeve and each such end portion. Said end portion 6 of the projection has an orifice 8 which is alined with the passage 9 that exists in the sleeve between the lower end portions of the shaft.

The part 4 may be light in weight but because of its form as a sleeve it will have ample strength. In order to impart suicient strength to its projection 5 the same has generally the same crosssectional or channeled form as that :portion 4a of the sleeve from which it directly extends.

arm I5` of said projection it has an. opening I4.

At I5 is a shaft to form what'I. term thefootmember of the crutch. It will usually be formed of wood: the same as the shafts 2r and will have the Ausual cap-shaped. cushion orpad I6 on its lower end. It is here formed rectangular. in cross-section the same as passage 9, orifice 8 .and opening I4 through which it. extends. Whenv assembled as shown with the bodystructure com.- prising the parts I, 2, 3 and 4 it is therebyconfined against substantial tilting displacement in any direction.

At the side of the foot-member opposite to that faced by the projection 5 of the sleeve and between the arm or bent-olf portion 6 of the latter and the clutch is a spring I 'I which normally holds the clutch tilted so that the right and left margins (Figs. 4 and 5) of its opening I4 grip the foot-member. This spring, which is here of helical form, is confined in position by a pair of studs I8 projecting from the clutch and said arm.

The clutch being nonmally held in the position shown, or gripping the foot member, when the crutch is subject to the weight of the user the gripping action of the clutch is augmented thereby to prevent collapse of the crutch. Adjustment to extend or increase the height of the crutch may be readily effected by effort applied to displace the foot member downwardly relatively the shafts 2, the gripping action of the clutch being of course ineffective to prevent such adjustment. Adjustment to collapse the crutch may be effected only by depressing the clutch, as by its knob I3, from its canted state and causing the foot-member then to be displaced in the upward direction.

` Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An invalid crutch including an upright body structure, an elongated upright foot-member movable up and down in the lower end portion of said structure and confined by the latter against substantial tilting displacement in any direction, and a clutch opposing, normally and substantially positively, upward displacement of the foot-member but retractive to permit such displacement and yieldingly opposing downward displacement of said foot-member.

2. An invalid crutch including an upright body structure, an elongated upright foot-member movable up and downin the lower end portion of said structure and confined by the latter against substantial tilting displacement in any direction, andan up-and-down-movable clutchand down in the passage and confined by said I structure against substantial tilting in any direction, and a clutch opposing, normally and substantially positively, upward displacement of the foot-member but retractive to permit such displacement and yieldingly opposing downward displacement of said foot-member.

4. An invalid crutch including an upright body structure itself including upright shafts spaced apart at their lower end portions and a sleeve embracing and fast to said end portions and forming therewith'a passage, an elongated upright foot-member penetrating and movable up and down in the passaage and confined by said structure against substantial tilting in any direction, and an up-anddownmovable clutch-lever fulcrumed inthe sleeve and normally urged upwardly into clutching relation to the foot-member and confining the latter against upward displacement.

5. An invalid crutch including an upright body structure itself including upright shafts spaced apart at their lower end portions and a sleeve embracing and fast to said end portions and forming therewith a passage, said sleeve having a depending projection provided with an arm extending under and spaced from said end portions, an elongated upright foot-member penetrating and movable up and down in the passage and conned by saidv structure against substantial tilting displacement in any direction, and an upand-down-movable clutch-lever fulcrumed in said projection and normally urged upwardly into clutching relation to said foot-member and confining the latter against upward displacement.

6. An invalid crutch including an upright body structure itself including upright shafts spaced apart at their lower end portions and a sleeve embracing and fast to said end portions and forming therewith a passage, said sleeve having a depending projeciton, an elongated upright foot-member penetratingand movable up -and down in the passage and conned by said structure against substantial tilting displacement in any direction, and means, supportedby said projection, to lock the foot-member against displacement at least upwardly.

COSMO L. INVIDIATO. 

